The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas’ unemployment rate — 7.8 percent — is the lowest it’s been since July 2009, when the recession was just heating up, according to employment statistics released by the Texas Workforce Commission today. Full Story
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Texas cut nearly 8,000 state jobs over the last year, according to a new report from the state auditor's office. Use this interactive to compare how the $15 billion in cuts passed by lawmakers in the last session has affected state-funded organizations within each article of the budget. Full Story
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Online piracy is hurting the nation's economy and putting lives at risk, says U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith. He wrote the Stop Online Piracy Act to address the problem, but his bill has gotten the cold shoulder in his home state. Full Story
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Texas economists and politicians are closely watching what this summer's presidential contest in Mexico means for the peso and, in turn, the state's symbiotic business ties to our neighbor to the south. Full Story
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In the last decade, companies have flocked to San Antonio, making it an economic center rivaling Houston and Dallas, and rattling the Alamo City's pre-existing inferiority complex. Full Story
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With 2011 winding down, we take a look back at the stories our readers liked best, judging by the number of pageviews they received. Full Story
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As Gov. Rick Perry pushes his employment initiatives on the presidential campaign trail, he often touts the jobs created by the Texas Enterprise Fund. But Perry’s opponents say the fund’s contributions to the Texas economy have been far overstated. Full Story
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The Lone Star State is getting bigger. Texas had the largest population growth of any state between April 2010 and July 2011, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Full Story
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The Dallas Cowboys have attracted a devoted fan base in Mexico, a country where American football ranks second to Mexican fútbol. Travelers risk overnight bus tours on roads traversed by violent drug cartels for the chance to see a game at Cowboys Stadium. Full Story
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The warnings were clear: avoid traveling the highways in northern Mexico at night. But it wasn't enough to stop some of the most fervent Mexican fans of the Dallas Cowboys from traversing them to get to a game. Full Story
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Richard Fisher, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, forecasts the future of the national economy at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce's annual Economic Forecast event in Austin, Texas - Dec. 16, 2011. Full Story
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The engine is primed to rev up the national economy, but businesses aren’t putting the pedal to the metal, Richard W. Fisher, the president and CEO of the Dallas Federal Reserve, said today. Full Story
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The Texas unemployment rate dropped from 8.4 percent to 8.1 percent in November, according to statistics released today by the Texas Workforce Commission. Full Story
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This interactive shows the demographics of poverty in each Texas county using the most up-to-date data from the American Community Survey. Browse the maps to compare poverty rates by age, sex, race and ethnicity, educational attainment and employment. Full Story
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The state's finances are in better shape than previously believed, the state comptroller said Monday, with a new projection showing $1.6 billion more than lawmakers expected, even after the state covers part of the its Medicaid shortfall and restores some cuts to state agencies and universities. Full Story
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In this episode of Weekend Insider, Tribune reporter Julian Aguilar discusses immigration and politics, and executive editor Ross Ramsey discusses talks about candidates looking to voters for a second chance. Full Story
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The promoters and track owners trying to put on a Formula One race in Austin apparently overcame their differences just in time — the F1 race for November 2012 is officially on the calendar. Full Story
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Fewer Texans will receive food stamps in December than in November, but the number is still up overall since 2005 as the national recession continues. Our updated interactive map allows you to explore the number of food stamp recipients in your county and the economic impact of the program. Full Story
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In this episode of Weekend Insider, Claire Cardona explains the rise in the state's need for foster care, and Brandi Grissom introduces us to a family accused of murder. Full Story
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In 2010, 4.4 million Texans lived below the poverty line, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday. Poverty has increased in more than 200 counties across Texas since 2007, the year before the recession hit. Use our interactive maps to explore the change in annual poverty rates and the median household income in your county. Full Story
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